Natural masterpiece
▶ Cultural inheritor brings centuries-old woodblock print tradition back to life
On Pujun South Road in Foshan, South China’s Guangdong Province, there’s a centuries-old house that sits among the other modern buildings on the road. The house is the only workshop in the city that produces nianhua, colorful woodblock prints.
Thirty-something Liu Zhongping is one of the managers at the workshop.
Liu used to make a living as a highly-paid tour guide, but in 2014, she resigned and began her career at the workshop as an apprentice of Feng Bingtang, a national inheritor of Foshan nianhua. Learning nianhua for five years now, Liu is considered a full-fledged inheritor of this traditional folk art.
“When I first came to the workshop, I saw my mentor, Feng Bingtang, calmly painting in the corner. The idea of someone devoting their entire life to something that they love was very appealing,” Liu said. Drawn in by the traditional art form, Liu decided to work in the workshop.
These colored woodblock prints are used as decorations during the Chinese New Year. Foshan nianhua got its start sometime during the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1279-1368) dynasties, and later thrived during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). In the 1930s, the production of Foshan nianhua began to wane and is now on its last legs.
In 2006, Foshan nianhua was listed in the first batch of China’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Rebranding tradition
Carrying forward Foshan nianhua has been no easy task. At the art form’s height, the road was lined with nianhua workshops, each specializing in one single aspect of making nianhua, such as engraving or printing. But now, the Feng family workshop is the only one making nianhua, and so Liu must master each step in the production process.
“It is difficult to make progress,” Liu admitted.
Since it is an ancient art rooted in folk customs and the business was not restored until 1998, Foshan nianhua is no longer part of people’s daily lives.
“It is not an exaggeration to say that 95 percent of the people I have met over the past five years have never heard of the art form,” Liu said.
In 2016, after studying at the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, Liu proposed that nianhua should make a return to people’s daily lives. At the end of that year, she hosted the workshop’s first Open Day event.
During one Open Day event, a participant who said she was looking to start a relationship bought a print of the Gods of Harmony and Peace, who are associated with happy marriages.
“A week later, she told me her dream had come true because she found a boyfriend.” Liu said.
The successful case inspired Liu. One of the characteristics of Foshan nianhua is that they usually depict the many “gods” from traditional Chinese culture that oversee various aspects of people’s lives. Liu saw this as a great way to market the art form by connecting it with the hopes of modern people.
“For example, students like buying the image of zhuangyuan (scholars who took first place in the ancient imperial examinations) for good luck during exams.”
“I called this project the ‘Rebirth of the Gods,’” Liu explained.
Inspired by Japanese novelist Keigo Higashino’s book Miracles of the Namiya General Store, Liu rebranded the centuries-old Feng family workshop as the jieyou nianhua workshop, or wish-fulfilling nianhua workshop.
“The concept of jieyou resonates with youngsters. By displaying the name ‘jieyou nianhua workshop’ when I set up exhibitions, people will quickly understand that nianhua can bring good luck and can fulfill their wishes.”
Liu has held more than 300 Open Day events over the past three years, allowing the ancient folk art to be gradually accepted by younger generations, and even many foreigners.
Pressure of tradition
As a young inheritor, Liu is also under heavy pressure.
On August 12, 2019, her mentor, Feng Bingtang, passed away at 83.
A huge loss for the traditional craft, her passing meant Liu had to shoulder the responsibility of carrying forward the craft on her own. “There’s a stereotype that the inheritors of intangible cultural heritage must be highly prestigious veterans of their craft and that young people are not qualified. This is why people are so surprised to see young inheritors,” Liu explained. “It is true that compared to senior craftsman, young inheritors are not as skilled,” Liu admitted.
“But our strength is that we can explain ancient art forms in a plain and modern way to help young generations understand them better.”
Heading overseas
Liu said that continuous study is necessary if she wants to continue linking traditional handicrafts and modern life.
Since 2015, Liu has taken shortterm study trips to further her knowledge of the art form, visiting almost all the regions in China famous for producing nianhua.
According to Liu, this year she will head over to Italy for a short study trip, which is something she was wanted to do since 2017.
“My hope for this year’s study in Italy is to look at the traditional craft from a more objective point of view and bring it to more people,” Liu said.